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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Every
now and then I put something new on my 2005 V6 Mustang to make it better, or to
just keep up with maintenance.When I realized
that my brake pads were pretty much just down to the metal plates behind where
the pads used to be, I figured it was time to get new brakes.Since my rotors had seen about 100,000 miles,
and bits of rust flaked off of them, I figured I would go for brakes and
rotors.

I could
have gotten OEM stuff, but I figured I would do something a little different,
but still stay on a budget.I decided to
go with a kit for my car by PowerStop which
included four drilled and slotted rotors, and a complete set of Evolution
ceramic brake pads.The whole kit I got
off Jegs for just over $250.Reviews
elsewhere said they were a good kit, and anything would have been better than
the non-existent stock ones I had, so I figured I would go for it.

Jegs
got them to me super fast.Installation
would have been easy, but my rotors were rusted in place, so I had to take my
car to a shop to get them installed.Kind of embarrassing, but it is what it is.Once they were on, the rotors looked badass, and
that’s about where the positives stop.

First
off, these brakes have to be broken in.It says that in multiple locations on the box and paperwork, and the
guys at the shop told me that too.It
involves a series of hard braking from various speeds, and then a cool down
period.I drove very carefully from my
shop to a street I knew I could do this on.I made sure to use the brakes very lightly, and I kept the car in
neutral at lights to avoid pad pressure on them.

I followed
the break in steps, and I knew it was working because I smelled the resin it
said I would.Even after doing so, the
brakes felt mushy and only slightly better than my worn out stock ones.I was confused, but it’s not like we were
talking about a six piston Brembo system, so I accepted it and dealt with it.

After
about a week, I was driving home, and when I went to brake for a traffic light
(at a normal braking speed), I nearly flew through the windshield.Out of nowhere, I felt like I finally had new
brakes.That continued for the ride
home.The next morning, just tapping the
brakes while exiting my parking lot caused the car to instantly stop.Finally!I thought that maybe they had to break in more.

Well,
as the day went on, brake fade took over and they were back to mushy.Then the next later on they were fine.The next morning, they started mushy, then
not, and the sporadic pattern still continues to this day, months and hundreds
of miles later.I can’t tell when brake
fade happens because sometimes they are there, and sometimes not.

The ABSOLUTE
worst part is the rattle I have from one of them.Granted, this could be something the shop did
when installing them, but after about a month of having them, my front right
something rattles VERY loudly each and every time I do so much as run over a
snail or the painted lines on the road.When I brake (even slightly), it’s gone, so it has something to do with
the brakes, I’m just not sure what.So,
who knows what it is.It really makes my
car seem old and not well put together when I hear that.

Also,
these brakes are “coated” to prevent rust.That lasts a couple weeks.

So
after all that, what is my conclusion?You get what you pay for.If you
want the look of something high end, but can’t afford it, go with these.Want something to stop like Brembos?Seriously, get Brembos.They have the look, when they are not rusty,
but that’s about it.

Pros:

Look cool

Good price

Cons:

Anti-rust coating fades quickly

VERY inconsistent braking

Rattles (potentially not the brake’s fault)

So
while you get fancy looking drilled and slotted rotors and you get ceramic
brake pads, it’s really all about the looks with these.Would I get them over stock again?If I can fix the rattle, yes.

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